My name is Laura and I'm living with severe atopic dermatitis. I don't actually remember life without having
eczema. I did have it when I was younger in the very common spots, which is what people would think is just
that rash.
And then the year I turned 21 was when it came back with absolute vengeance. It started on my stomach in just
a couple of spots and that was a place I'd never had it before. And then it just spread and spread and spread
and just completely out of control. And it ended up absolutely everywhere.
The only places my doctor said I didn't have it were the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet.
When people ask me what it feels like? I can honestly say it does feel like things are crawling all over you
or things are crawling under your skin. I used to get a lot of like a burning sensation and honestly to feel
like people were holding like a match up against my leg.
I would say during the parts of it where it was at its worst, my mental health completely, nose-dived. I
would lie there at night and just be like, when is this going to end?
That was a really traumatic time that I went through. I was very lucky that I had people around me who loved
me and supported me.
In my journey, my number one has been my dad.
If he hadn't pushed for me to go to other doctors or seek other treatments or his absolute willingness to
just do anything. All I can really say is like, thank you, but that's really not enough. Yeah, he's just the
best.
What I would say to anybody who's at that stage now. I would say to them, don't give up on yourself and don't
let your doctors give up on you either. I think always keep asking for something more and also acknowledging
that you know your skin and your body better than anybody.